VANCOUVER -- A fire in a north Surrey business sent thick black smoke billowing into the air Thursday afternoon, prompting a significant response from firefighters.

David Burns, assistant chief of operations for Surrey Fire Rescue Service, said crews were called to the scene in the city's Bridgeview neighbourhood around 2 p.m.

When they arrived, firefighters found a 1,000-square-foot building engulfed in flames, Burns said.

Crews approached the fire defensively to keep it from spreading to other nearby businesses, activating a second alarm to bring in more resources, he said.

Some 24 firefighters and eight vehicles responded to the scene, which Burns said was an auto salvage business.

No one was injured in the fire, the cause of which is still under investigation.